rattletrap motorcycle he loved with his John Blunt identity card in his pocket and the wedding ring he owned as Mykal Marten on his finger. It didn’t make any sense.
“When was your accident?” she asked him, her mind working a mile a minute. “Where was it? Do you know?”
He shook his head. “About two months ago. And somewhere in Granvilli territory, from what I’ve been told. But I don’t know where exactly.”
She stared at him. Certain things were beginning to put up little red flags in her thinking. “How did they find your real identity?”
“It took a while. I was in a Granvilli hospital for a few weeks, I guess, and then I got transferred to the royal side in a prisoner trade. It seems they figured out I was a spy for the royals.” His smile was endearingly crooked, but getting more and more sleepy. “I only wish I could remember. It sounds like I was living quite the life over there.”
“Yes,” she said softly, holding the memories close. “You were.” She stared at him for a long, trembling moment. This had gone on long enough. Her resistance was melting. He had to know the truth.
But he didn’t seem to notice what she’d said. He shook his head as though to clear it and looked at her through squinted eyes. “So will you help me?” he asked, his voice getting slurred. “I just have this aching void inside, and I feel like, if I could find her, if I knew who she was, I could fill this emptiness. And maybe find a reason to care whether I survive these operations or not.”
“Oh, Mykal.”
She went to him. She couldn’t help it. She slipped right onto the bed beside him, being careful not to put any pressure on him in any way, but taking his face between her hands and kissing him firmly on the lips.
He kissed her back and she clung to him, so hungry for his affection, so thirsty for his taste. It was heaven to hold him.
But she had to pull away so that she could tell him the truth.
“Mykal,” she said softly, touching his beloved face with the palm of her hand and looking into his eyes. “I know where your wife is. I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you right away.” She took a deep breath and plunged in. “I’m…I’m the one. It’s me. You and I were married about four months ago.”
He was staring at her but his eyes were blank. She bit her lip, disturbed by his lack of reaction. Frustrated, she leaned her head back on the pillow and stared at the ceiling as she talked. She couldn’t look at him. She didn’t want to see growing awareness in his eyes as he listened to her.
“We met in Pierria. We both worked there. I was with the Granvilli intelligence, and you were…well, I never understood exactly who you worked for or why. But we fell in love. Crazy in love. And we got married on a wing and a prayer, hardly knowing what we were doing. And then…”
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “And then we had a terrible fight. I ran from our little house to my brother’s apartment. And I never saw you again.” She opened her eyes and turned to look at him. “Until yesterday, when I…”
Her voice faded away as she realized he was asleep.
“Mykal!” she cried, but he didn’t budge. She stared at him and then she began to laugh until tears filled her eyes. Here she’d painfully revealed it all to him, and he wasn’t even listening. “Oh, Mykal.”
She rose from the bed and looked down at him, shaking her head. She heard voices out in the foyer. The ambulance had arrived. They’d come to take him to the castle.
Well, things had changed. She’d said she was leaving, but now she was going to stay with him. This was her husband and he needed her. There was no way she was going to stay behind.
She picked up her satchel and turned, looking at the wooden box. Should she take it along? She didn’t like leaving it here. But did she have the right?
“Nuts,” she said to herself. She was married to the man. Of course she had the right. Moving quickly, she
“When was your accident?” she asked him, her mind working a mile a minute. “Where was it? Do you know?”
He shook his head. “About two months ago. And somewhere in Granvilli territory, from what I’ve been told. But I don’t know where exactly.”
She stared at him. Certain things were beginning to put up little red flags in her thinking. “How did they find your real identity?”
“It took a while. I was in a Granvilli hospital for a few weeks, I guess, and then I got transferred to the royal side in a prisoner trade. It seems they figured out I was a spy for the royals.” His smile was endearingly crooked, but getting more and more sleepy. “I only wish I could remember. It sounds like I was living quite the life over there.”
“Yes,” she said softly, holding the memories close. “You were.” She stared at him for a long, trembling moment. This had gone on long enough. Her resistance was melting. He had to know the truth.
But he didn’t seem to notice what she’d said. He shook his head as though to clear it and looked at her through squinted eyes. “So will you help me?” he asked, his voice getting slurred. “I just have this aching void inside, and I feel like, if I could find her, if I knew who she was, I could fill this emptiness. And maybe find a reason to care whether I survive these operations or not.”
“Oh, Mykal.”
She went to him. She couldn’t help it. She slipped right onto the bed beside him, being careful not to put any pressure on him in any way, but taking his face between her hands and kissing him firmly on the lips.
He kissed her back and she clung to him, so hungry for his affection, so thirsty for his taste. It was heaven to hold him.
But she had to pull away so that she could tell him the truth.
“Mykal,” she said softly, touching his beloved face with the palm of her hand and looking into his eyes. “I know where your wife is. I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you right away.” She took a deep breath and plunged in. “I’m…I’m the one. It’s me. You and I were married about four months ago.”
He was staring at her but his eyes were blank. She bit her lip, disturbed by his lack of reaction. Frustrated, she leaned her head back on the pillow and stared at the ceiling as she talked. She couldn’t look at him. She didn’t want to see growing awareness in his eyes as he listened to her.
“We met in Pierria. We both worked there. I was with the Granvilli intelligence, and you were…well, I never understood exactly who you worked for or why. But we fell in love. Crazy in love. And we got married on a wing and a prayer, hardly knowing what we were doing. And then…”
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “And then we had a terrible fight. I ran from our little house to my brother’s apartment. And I never saw you again.” She opened her eyes and turned to look at him. “Until yesterday, when I…”
Her voice faded away as she realized he was asleep.
“Mykal!” she cried, but he didn’t budge. She stared at him and then she began to laugh until tears filled her eyes. Here she’d painfully revealed it all to him, and he wasn’t even listening. “Oh, Mykal.”
She rose from the bed and looked down at him, shaking her head. She heard voices out in the foyer. The ambulance had arrived. They’d come to take him to the castle.
Well, things had changed. She’d said she was leaving, but now she was going to stay with him. This was her husband and he needed her. There was no way she was going to stay behind.
She picked up her satchel and turned, looking at the wooden box. Should she take it along? She didn’t like leaving it here. But did she have the right?
“Nuts,” she said to herself. She was married to the man. Of course she had the right. Moving quickly, she
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